Fountain-rule.



Patented May 12, 1914.

2 BEBETS BHEBT 1v 112-122:212.33:-222.122:22.2122:IIfiITZII M3:-:: :22-2112:222.122:.IIITIII: 2.221222% an HH b O. J. UPI-IAUS.

FOUNTAIN RULE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23.1013.

coLuMum PLANOGRAPII C0,, WAs-M OSCAR J. UPHAUS, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

FOUNTAIN-RULE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 23, 1913.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Serial No. 780,744.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, OSCAR J. UPHAUS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mobile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fountain-Rules, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to a rule which is adapted prticularly for use by boolekeepers and draftsmen in ruling straight lines.

It is common practice in ruling straight, solid lines to draw a pen along one edge of a rule and to inscribe dotted lines by lifting the nib of the pen from the paper or other surface at intervals. This method is objectionable in many respects, particularly in that ink often adheres to the edge of the rule and creates blurred lines upon the paper. Then, it is necessary to dip the pen in the ink constantly, and the operation of drawing dotted lines is difficult to perform accurately and is slow and tedious.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide a rule body having a longitudinally slidable ruling attachment mounted thereon and provided with a depending inking wheel having a marking edge adapted to receive ink from the reservoir and to rule a line on the surface upon which the rule body is mounted when the attachment is moved along the body. A marking wheel having evenly spaced points upon its outer edge is used in ruling dotted lines.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ruling attachment for the rule body wherein the means for feeding ink to the marking wheel is simple and positive in operation.

A still further object is the provision of yieldable means for normally supporting the marking wheel in inoperative position above the under face of the rule body, whereby the ruling device may be rendered instantly inoperative when the end of a line has been reached in order that unnecessary marks will not be inscribed upon the paper or other surface.

The invention consists in the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device,

showing the ruling attachment in its inoperative position, the opposite position of the same being indicated by the dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a further side elevation looking at the device from the opposite side thereof; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same; Fig. 4 is a front elevation; Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view on line (3 6 of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view through the ruling attachment showing a closure device applied to the ink feed opening for use during the filling of the reservoir; Fig. 8 is a f'agmentary front elevation of a modified form of the device having a different form of ink feeding means; Fig. 9 is a similar view of a still further modification, showing the marking wheel in its operative position; Fig. 10 is a similar view showing the marking wheel in inoperative position, with the closure tongue for the ink discharge opening in its operative, closed position; Fig. 11 is a transverse sectional view through the device as shown in Fig. 10; Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a marking wheel adapted for use in inscribing double lines; Fig. 13 is a similar view of a marking wheel for inscribing dotted lines and Fig. .14 is a transverse, vertical sectional view through the rule body and marking element, the latter being shown in its depressed operative position.

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, it will be seen that I have provided an elongated rule body 1 which is provided preferably with a beveled side edge 2 having a linear scale in scribed thereon. A dove-tail rib 3 is formed upon the upper surface of the body 1 and is disposed adjacent to the opposite side edge 41: in parallel relation to the longitudinal axis of the body.

A ruling attachment is mounted upon the rule body and includes a rectangular base 5, which is constructed preferably of some suitable wood, as is also the rule body. This base 5 is provided with a dovetail groove (3 in its end face for the reception of the rib 3 so as to mount the base for longitudinal sliding movement upon the body 1. A metallic ink reservoir 7, which is wider than the base 5, is pivotally connected at its rear end to the base by means of the hinge 8, so

I spring 9 being interposed between the said reservoir and the base adjacent to the front ends thereof to serve as means for yieldably supporting the front end of the reservoir in .its elevated inoperative position. The reservoir 7 is constructed wider than the base 5 as has already been stated, so that its side portion opposite to the beveled edge 2 of the rule body projects laterally from the base 5 and this portion of the reservoir is provided in its top wall with an inlet opening 10 having a neck 11 which is fitted with a removable closure cap 12. A laterally yieldable fastening member 13 depends from the inner side face of the reservoir 7 and is provided with a vertical slot 14 adapted to receive the lateral projection 15 provided upon the corresponding side face of the base 5 adjacent to its upper edge, when the reservoir is positioned as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. Owing to the provision of the slot in the said fastening member, the vertical movement necessary in moving the reservoir into or out of its operative position will not be prevented. The fastening member is intended to secure the reservoir in engagement with the spring 9 so as to prevent the former from moving upwardly to a greater extent than is found necessary in practice. When it is desired to swing the reservoir clear back for any reason, such as for refilling the reservoir with ink, the fastening member may be flexed outwardly in order to free the same from engagement with the projection 15. v

The outwardly projecting side portion of the reservoir is provided with a depending cylindrical extension 16 having a medial discharge opening 17 in its bottom wall. A hollow cylindrical head 18 is adapted to fit onto the extension 16 to form a support for the circular marking Wheel 19, which latter is secured fixedly to a transverse shaft 20 journaled in the depending bearing lugs 21 formed on the under face of the .said head. The head is provided with'a slot 22 within which the upper portion of the wheel 19 is movable, so that the active edge 23 of the said wheel will engage the edges of the discharge opening 17 in order that the ink suspended within the said opening, owing to the fact that the reservoir is air-tight, will flow grad justed properly thereon. Then, the reser voir 7 is grasped with one hand and is depressed'so as to bring the active edge 23 of the marking wheel 19 into engagement with the paper, whereupon the ruling device as a whole is moved longitudinally upon the rule body, thus causing the marking .wheel to rotate and trace an ink lineupo-n the paper. When the line is terminated, the downward pressure upon the reservoir is released, thus permitting, the same to rise into inoperative position, removing the marking wheel'from engagement with the paper.

When it is desired to inscribe double lines, theform of marking wheel shown in Fig. 12 is used to replace the marking wheel which has'been described. This "new form of wheel is circular in shape and is provided with a substantially U-shaped groove 25 in its outer periphery, whereby the laterally spaced marking edges 26 and 27 are pro- Th1s marking wheel wlll lIlSCTllQB' vided. two parallel lines during the operation of the ruling device.

In Fig. 13, a marking wheel for use in inscribing dotted lines is shown. is provided with a peripheral row of spaced teeth 28 which will receive ink from the discharge opening of the reservoir in the usual manner and will trace a dotted line upon the paper as the wheel is moved over the same.

In Fig. 8 a slightly modified form of ruling device is disclosed, wherein an absorbent pad 29 is positioned within the head 18. In

this instance, the ink' within the discharge opening 17 of the reservoir extension is absorbed by the pad 29 and is fed indirectly to the active edge of the marking wheel, due to the fact that the said marking edge norinally engages the under face of the pad. This form of ink feeding means might be found desirable for use in some instances, but the previously described method of feeding ink to the marking wheel is more positive and unfailing in its operation.

In order to provide means by which the degree of movement of the ruling attachment with respect to the rule body may be determined, a vertical indicating notch 30 is provided in the inner side face of the sliding base 5 directly in line with the axis of the marking wheel forcooperation with the longitudinal, linear scale 31 provided upon the upper surface of the rule body. A limiting member 32, which is formed from a resilient sheet of metal so as to be similar in shape to the body rib 3, is slidably mount ed upon the said rib and fits snugly thereon so as to normally maintain its set position. An 'L-shaped locking lever 33 is pivoted at 34 tothe horizontal portion of the This wheel 7 device, and has one of its arms 35 movable in any of its adjusted positions, the base 5 of the ruling device is first moved with reference to the scale 31 on the body 1 until the desired terminal position of the ruling device is reached, whereupon the limiting member 32 is moved into engagement with the outer end of the base 5 and is secured in this position by means of the locking memher just described. A second limiting memher (not shown) identical in construction to the member already described may be used also to limit the movement of the ruling device in the opposite direction, but under or dinary conditions, one limiting member is suflicient.

In Fig. 7 of the drawing, the reservoir of the ruling device is shown during the act of filling the same. Prior to this operation, the wheel-supporting head is detached from the reservoir extension 16 and a closure cap is fitted onto the said extension. This cap is provided medially upon the inner face of its head with a projection 36for engagement within the opening 17 in order that ink will not leak therethrough. Then, the closure cap 12 for the inlet neck 11 is removed and ink is poured into the reservoir in a manner which should be readily understood. Before removing the cap 35, the cap 12 must be replaced. After this operation has been performed, the head 18 of the marking device may be replaced upon the reservoir extension 16 for further use.

In Figs. 9 to 11, I have shown the marking wheel as mounted eccentrically upon the head so that its active edge will engage the edges of the discharge opening in the reservoir extension, which latter is also eccentrically disposed, when the marking wheel is in its operative position as shown in Fig. 9 in particular. tongue 37 is provided upon the head 18 on the opposite side thereof with respect to the marking wheel. This tongue is provided upon its upper face with a closure projection 38 which is adapted for engagement within the discharge opening 17 when the head 18 has been rotated through approximately 180 degrees so as to bring the marking wheel into the position shown in Fi 10. By the use of this construction, the reservoir may be filled without the necessity of detaching the head 18 and thus obviates the necessity of using a closure cap such as the cap From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it should be apparent that I have provided a simply constructed and efficient rule which is intended for use in various capacities and which should prove to be a time and labor saving device. It is to be understood, however, that I do not limit myself necessarily to the exact details of construction herein described andshown, but may re- An inwardly projectingsort to minor changes falling within the scope of the appended claims, it found necessary in practice.

Having thus described myinvention,what I claim is:

l. A device of the class described comprising an elongated rule body, a ruling device mounted upon the said body and including a base slidably mounted upon the rule body, a reservoir for writing fluid attached to the base and having :1 depending extension provided on its bottom wall with a discharge opening, a supporting cap detachably secured to the reservoir extension, a marking wheel journaled in the cap and having its active edge disposed in suitable proximity to the said discharge opening, the said supporting cap being movable with respect to the reservoir extension so that the marking wheel may be moved into either operative or inoperative position with respect to the discharge opening, means for closing the said discharge opening when the marking wheel is in its inoperative position, the said reservoir being provided with an inlet opening, and an air-tight closure for said opening.

2. A device of the class described comprising an elongated rule body, a ruling device mounted upon said body and including a base longitudinally slidable thereon, a reservoir for writing fluid attached to the base and having a depending cylindrical extension provided in its bottom wall with an eccentrically disposed discharge opening, a supporting cap detachably secured to the said reservoir extension and being rotatable thereon, a marking wheel journaled eccentrically within the cap and having its active edge adapted to be disposed in .engagement within the said discharge opening, a closure project-ion provided within said cap in circumferentially spaced relation to the marking wheel and being spaced equidistant from the axis of the reservoir extension with respect to the discharge openings, the said projection being adapted for engagement within the discharge opening when the marking wheel is in its inoperative position out of engagen'ient with the opening, the reservoir being provided with an inlet opening, and a removable closure for said opening.

3. A device of the class described comprising an elongated rule body, a ruling device mounted upon said body and including a base longitudinally slidable thereon, a reservoir for writing fluid attached to the base and having a depending cylindrical exten sion provided in its bottom wall with an eccentrically disposed discharge opening, a supporting cap detachably secured to the said reservoir extension and being rotatable thereon, a marking wheel journaled eccentrically within the cap and having its active edge adapted to be disposed in engagement Within the said discharge opening, a yieldable tongue provided Within said cap, a closure projection formed upon the inner face of said tongue and being positioned equidis tant from the longitudinal axis of the reservoir extension with respect to the discharge opening, the said closure projection being adapted for engagement Within the dis- 10 charge opening When the marking Wheel is in its inoperative position out of engagement With the oaenin the said reservoir bein 7 D, D

rovided with an inlet 0 enin and a re-' b7 i OSCAR J. nrrnins.

Witnesses P. G. BARNES,

R. LENonnR.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of ratents,

WashingtomD. C. i i 

